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The Federal Aid Trap: Vermont’s Spending Problem
Vermont spends more than any other state relative to its economy, with 29.4% of its output going to state and local government. Heavy federal dependency and a high tax…
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Why Health Insurance Became a Healthcare Payment System — And What It Means
Health insurance in the U.S. has shifted from catastrophic coverage to an inefficient catch-all system. By adopting portable HSAs, transparent pricing, and deregulated markets, we can empower individuals and…
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How the Choking Out of Christmas Changed American Culture
For much of the 20th century, Christmas in the United States functioned as a shared cultural event rather than a narrowly religious observance. As institutions retreated from seasonal traditions…
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Jingle Bells Is Racist? What the Research Actually Says
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid shared a viral video claiming “Jingle Bells” was written to mock Black people, citing a 2017 academic study. But the researcher who conducted that…
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The Consequences of Ignoring Reality – Part 2
Vermont’s fiscal pressures extend far beyond education funding. Housing scarcity, healthcare costs, workforce readiness, regulation, and demographic decline are compounding in ways that no single policy fix can resolve.…
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The Consequences of Ignoring Reality – Part 1
Vermont’s education funding crisis is not the result of a single law or a broken formula. It is the visible collision point of decades of policy decisions that constrained…
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Act 47 and A Story of Vermont’s Compact Future
Vermont’s shrinking pool of buildable land and new statewide zoning mandates are steering the state toward a dense, walkable future. Act 47 accelerates this shift by overriding local control,…
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The Vermont Land Crunch: Conservation, Costs, and a Finite Landscape
Vermont’s land base is far more limited than commonly understood. With roughly three-quarters of the state already conserved, publicly owned, or in long-term Current Use, the remaining buildable acreage…
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Vermont’s Quiet Tax Break That Everyone Pays For
Vermont’s Current Use Program reduces property taxes on agricultural and forest land by assessing enrolled parcels at use value rather than market value. As enrollment grows and more landowners—both…
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VT Solves Housing Crisis by Raising Costs 12%
Vermont’s latest tax letter confirms another double-digit property tax increase, following last year’s nearly 14% jump. With education spending rising and enrollment falling, the state continues raising the cost…
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